This invention relates generally to toy vehicles and particularly to those which are self-powered and remotely controlled by an operator using a transmitter to communicate commands to a receiver within the toy vehicle.
Toy vehicles have proven to be a long-lasting and extremely popular category of toys. Not surprisingly, in response to this long term popularity, practitioners in the toy arts have provided a virtually endless variety of toy vehicles. As a result, toy vehicles have been provided which are free-wheeling, unpowered vehicles moved by hand as well as toy vehicles having spring-powered or wind-up apparatus. Still other toy vehicles have relied upon inertia power to store energy within a rotating flywheel which then drives the vehicle for a significant distance. By far the most popular type of powered toy vehicle however has proven to be the electrically powered vehicle in which a battery power source within the vehicle operates one or more small electric motors operatively coupled to one or more of the vehicle wheels. A latter refinement of such battery powered toy vehicles provided so-called remote controlled or RC toy vehicles.
Remote controlled toy vehicles have been provided using various types of energy for communicating commands to the toy vehicle. While such vehicles vary greatly in design, the basic elements of the vehicle system are usually in that a plurality of batteries provide energy to one or more drive motors for propelling the vehicle and also provide operative power to an electronic control module supported within or on the vehicle. The control module is capable of altering the operating characteristics of the vehicle such as the speed, direction, and steering of the vehicle. A communication receiver is stored on or in the vehicle and is operatively coupled to the control system for receiving operating commands from a remote transmitter which the user manipulates to remotely control the vehicle by communicating commands to the receiver thereon. This communication has taken place using radio frequency energy, sound or ultrasound, or light energy such as infrared energy. Each of these energy forms has distinct advantages and disadvantages. However the dominant communication system for vehicles having any complexity of operation is generally reliant upon radio frequency transmitted commands.
In addition to the great variation of systems used in remote controlled toy vehicles, the vehicles themselves have varied greatly in structure and appearance. The appearance of such vehicles has varied from realistic miniature versions of existing vehicles to fanciful or exaggerated appearances sometimes assuming a cartoon-like departure from reality. Other remote controlled toy vehicles have resembled animals exaggerated from the animal appearances or some sort of robotic/animal appearance.
Despite all this effort directed toward producing a variety of remotely controlled toy vehicles, the actions of most, if not all, of such toy vehicles have been basically similar in that the vehicle is able to move, change direction, steer, or stop on command providing action basically similar to all other remote controlled vehicles. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,590,526 issued to Deyerl et al sets forth a REMOTELY STEERABLE VEHICLE providing a self-propelled toy vehicle adapted for use on a track or other surface wherein its steering and speed may be controlled by electromechanical or electronic means. A pair of motors are independently coupled to a corresponding pair of drive wheels and are operated differentially to provide steering and propulsion for the toy vehicle.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,213,270 issued to Oda sets forth a RADIO CONTROLLED WHEEL TOY having a battery power apparatus controlled by a remotely located hand-held transmitter. The toy vehicle supports two motors, each connected to drive one wheel of the front and rear wheel pairs. By controlling the current to the motors, their respective speed of rotation is controlled causing the toy car vehicle to turn left or right.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,902,260 issued to Im sets forth an AMPHIBIAN TOY CAR which may be operated by a remote controller. The toy vehicle includes wheels having projecting fins to provide amphibious capability when the vehicle enters water.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,135,427 issued to Suto et al sets forth a CATERPILLAR TYPE TOY VEHICLE having a vehicle body supporting larger rear wheels and smaller front wheels, each front and rear wheel supporting a respective endless belt caterpillar track. A pair of electric motors supported within the body independently drive the caterpillar track through separate gear reduction transmissions utilizing the rear wheels as drive wheels. The twin motors are radio controlled for separate and independent action. A remote transmitter communicates commands independently to each caterpillar track drive to enable the toy vehicle to drive in either direction, turn, or stop through combinations of commands.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,273,480 issued to Suto sets forth a CONTROL VEHICLE TOY DRIVE TRAIN FOR PIVOTING TURNS providing high speed and large torque performance. A motor gear driven by a radio controlled motor is coupled to first and second drive gears for independently driving left hand and right hand wheels. First and second intermediate gears cause the first and second drive gears to rotate at a lower speed. An idler gear provides meshing with one of the intermediate gears to cause the first and second drive gears to rotate in opposite directions.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,145,442 issued to Zan sets forth a MULTI PURPOSE SOLAR ENERGY OPERATED TOY VEHICLE having a plate resembling a ship which supports a solar panel array on its upper surface which is operatively coupled to a drive motor. The drive motor is further coupled to a rotatable axle which alternatively may secure a pair of paddle wheels for operation in water or a pair of drive wheels for operation on land.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,897,070 issued to Wagstaff sets forth a TWO WHEELED MOTORIZED TOY having a toy body supported by an axle extending through the body substantially above the body""s center of gravity. Within the body a battery power source and drive motor are operatively coupled to the shaft to provide rotational power to the shaft. Each end of the shaft is coupled to a large diameter wheel rotated under power as the shaft is rotated by the drive motor. The drive motor and battery supply are positioned below the upwardly displaced shaft to provide a balance weight for the body maintaining it in a substantially upright position as the wheels rotate and the toy vehicle moves.
Apparatus similar to that set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 4,897,070 (above) is set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 2,977,714 issued to Gibson; U.S. Pat. No. 3,313,365 issued to Jackson; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,310,987 issued to Chieffo, all of which provide a two-wheeled vehicle having a center body weighted and balanced to maintain an upright position.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,705,487 issued to Ishimoto sets forth a MOVABLE TOY AUTOMATICALLY SWINGABLE BETWEEN AN UP POSITION AND A DOWN POSITION having an elongated toy body, a pair of driving wheels arranged at the bottom of the toy body, a pair of arms swingable from their vertical position to their forward horizontal position, a differential gear having an output shaft for forming a swing shaft of the arms, a driving motor and a gear train.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,346,893 issued to Landsinger et al sets, forth a REMOTE CONTROLLED SPORT GAME having a pair of figures operable on a playing surface, each figure having receivers tuned to different frequencies for operation by radio transmitters to control the movement of the figures.
While the foregoing described prior art devices have to some extent improved in the art, and in some instances, enjoyed commercial success, there remains nonetheless a continuing need in the art for evermore exciting, interesting and amusing remote controlled toy vehicles.
Accordingly, it is a general object of the present invention to provide an improved remotely controlled toy vehicle.
It is a more particular object of the present invention to provide an improved remotely controlled toy vehicle capable of a variety of actions and operational modes to provide improved interest for the user.
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a toy vehicle comprising: an elongated body having a frontal end and a trailing end; a pair of wheels rotatably supported by the body substantially closer to the frontal end than the trailing end; and a pair of reversible motor drive units for applying a torque to each of the wheels and an opposite-direction reaction torque to the body, the reaction torque acting to flip the body pivoting the trailing end over the wheels when the motor drive units reverse the torque applied to the wheels.
The operation of the present invention toy vehicle is contemplated in a remotely controlled environment. Accordingly, the present invention provides a remotely controlled toy comprising: an elongated body having a front end and a trailing end; a pair of wheels rotatably supported by the body substantially closer to the frontal end and farther from the trailing end; drive means for independently rotating each of the wheels in either direction of rotation; and control means for operating the drive means in accordance with user commands.
In operation, the present invention toy vehicle is constructed to xe2x80x9cflipxe2x80x9d when direction of travel is reversed. The present invention toy vehicle comprises a toy vehicle comprising: an elongated body having a frontal end and a trailing end; a pair of wheels rotatably coupled to each side of the elongated body close to the frontal end such that the wheels extend beyond the frontal end and the trailing end extends well beyond the wheels; and means for independently and reversibly rotating the wheels to propel the toy vehicle, the toy vehicle moving in a first direction of motion as the wheels rotate in a first rotational direction such that the trailing end extends rearwardly with respect to the first direction of motion and the body pivoting when the wheels are reversed to a second opposite direction of rotation propelling the vehicle in a second opposite direction of motion to extend rearwardly with respect to the second direction of motion.